Body lowering apparatus



E. SOKOLIK BODY LOWERING APPARATUS Jan. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Jan. 29. 1949 miv IN VEN TOR.

Jan. 5, 1954 E. soKoLlK BODY LOWERING APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1949 Il fl IN VEN TOR.

Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 73,300, January 29,1949. `This application August 21, 1952, Serial No. 305,527

.9 Claims.

This application is a continuation of my application for Body Lowering Apparatus iiled January 29, 1949, Serial No. 73,300, Division 6.1,2which is abandoned in favor of this application, which relates to improvements in apparatus .for lowering nre escapees from burning buildings, 'orinaterial from buildings under construction or destruction.

The principal object is toprovide an apparatus whereby bodies or material of predetermined i minimum and maximum weights may .be 'lowered from altitudes under governed predetermined rate of descent.

An important object is to provide an apparatus that is streamlined and compact and :presents an attractive appearance when designed for use asa xture mounted over a Window to lower lire escapees.

A further object is to provide an apparatus adapted for high as well as for low altitudes.

Another object is to provide an apparatus that has duplex lowering features coacting alternately.

Still another object is to provide an vapparatus that is nre, rot, or damage proef.

Still further object is to provide an apparatus that automatically substantially decelerates acceleration.

A very important Iobject is to providean `apparatus that has three separate coacting means to govern the acceleration of the descending body.

Invention resides in novel combination, larrangement and construction ofthe elements of the apparatus as hereinafter described and defined in the subjoined claims.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description progresses.

Fig, 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus as it appears when mounted on top of the window casing in a room.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, axially extended, with a fragmentary edge elevation ofthe apparatus showing sectionally the duplex reel, the radial brake disks, twin brake drums and .the twin assemblies of governor-brake levers provided with brake shoes.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the combined radial brake disk and drum, and the .governorbrake levers With their brake shoes in braking action.

Fig. 4 shows a side and front end elevation of the bracket shaft support separated from the base-plate.

Fig. 5 is a .plan View on line ,ti-5 Fig. .3 of one of .the .governor-brake levers with its pivot, which 2 is vprovided with a sleeve, and the pivot for the shoe, in the respective fulcrums of the lever.

Fig. 6 is a plan .view of one of the brake shoes with the pivot for attaching same to one of the governor-brake levers, in its fulcrum.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose oi illustration, is .shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the `numeral 8 designates the bracket 'frame 3, which carries the mechanism. The fra-rnc 8 and mechanism combined 4present the appearance of a large Aalarm clock secured to the wall in a small .out-,of-.the-way compass above the casing of ra window. VA peculiar feature of this apparatus is that its dimensions are radially rather than laterally coextensive, imparting thereto an attractive `appearance and the function of nullifying acceleration of a descending body.

`Included in the bracket frame il is: a vwall baseplate which is illustrated .as of radial design, provided with a base Ill adapted to rest upon the top casing member of a window and is provided with eyelet means I I whereby it is secured to the wall against which it lays by screws I2 or the like, and is provided with a radial brake face surrounding the axis thereof; and a stub-shaft support I3 perpendicularly rigidly affixed to the brake face of the plate 9. This stub-shaft comprises a journal portion ill connected to the brake face, and a free end portion I5, which is illustrated as having opposite dat sides and opposite arced sides I6, connected to said journal portion I4. These arced `sides are screw threaded from the ends thereof inwardly for same distance. This free end-portion may be structurally modiiied so long as a member may be moved to and fro thereupon, but not rotated thereupon.

Included in the mechanism supported by the bracket frame 8 is: a duplex-reel il rotatably mounted upon the journal portion lli of the stubshaft i3, said duplex reel Il including a drumhub portion i3 having radial brake-end flanges I9 and 20, each end-ange having a radial brake face on the outer side thereof, said drum-hub portion I8 having a partitienal ilange 2l inedially disposed on said drum-hub portion it and of the same diameter as .brake end-flange It. Brake end-flange 2E) has a recess 22 extending semiannularly in the upper top half of the side of the inner edge thereof and has a diameter slightly exceeding that or the flanges l@ and 2l. The end-flange 20 is provided on the outer face thereof near the edge 23 thereof, with a pair of pivots diametrically opposite each other across the central axis of said end-flange 2t. Each pivot 251i is provided with a nut or Cotter-pin on the projecting end thereof, and in the other endthereof, as illustrated, with a screw thread engaging the screw threaded bore in the end-flange 2i).

The partitional flange 2l divides the drum-hub portion i8 into two narrow duplex hubs 25 and 25, each of which is provided with a strand element il? and 28 respectively. These strands have one end secured to the respective drum-hub-portions and then wound thereupon in opposed directions. Each of the free ends is provided with an eye terminal 2S and 36 respectively for attaching thereto, a body lowering device (not shown).

Each strand 2'@ and 28 is wound principally radially cumulatively upon the narrow drum hubportons 25 and 26 respectively, as distinguished from wide hub-portions adapted for laterally cumulative winding. rEhe object of radially cumulative winding is to automatically decelerate or retard acceleration of a descending body and further to gain the advantage of streamlining, of attractive appearance, easy mounting to the wall, and to afford a narrow radially coextensive reel that lays dat upon the wall to which it is secured. A further advantage of this peculiar reel is that it is adapted for lowering bodies from great altitudes, since a strand element being generally a diametrically small cable strong enough to support a person or the material to be lowered.

A hood 3l, preferably of some resonance, is demountably mounted upon the top half-portion of the duplex-reel l'i and has the pendant guard ends 32 which also serve as resonant alarms cutcurved from the reel li', since when the first body is being lowered, the eye terminal 29 or 3i! of the idling strand strikes the outcurved hood end 32 as it reels thereunder producing a resonant sound to alarm occupants in adjacent rooms. In mounting the hood 3l, the edge 33 thereof, which is beveled, is slid into the recess 22 in the edge 23 of the iiange 2:3, and the other edge 34 is forced down onto the anges I9 and 2l and held thereupon by the pair of set-screws 35 anchored in the base-plate 9.

A brake-member S5 is slideably, but not rotatably, mounted upon the free end-portion l5 of the stub-shaft I3 and includes a combined brake disk 3l having a radial brake face cooperating with the brake face of the end-flange 2Q and a brake drum 38 having a cylindrical brake face. The disk 3'! has a hub 39, with two opposite inner flat sides and two opposite inner arced sides adapted to slide, but not to rotate upon said endportion E5. This hub 39 extends into the brake drum 33 substantially one-half of the width of said drum SES.

Another similar brake member 3%@ is likewise mounted upon the same portion I5, but without a radial bral-:e face on the disk 31a. This member ittici, however, has the hub Sta projected toward the hub Sil of the braise member 316 to effect the spacing between the two brake members 3S and 35a, and to afford hub bearings of corresponding widths.

This brake member 3&2 has a numerical scale disposed in the confines of said brake member 36a to designate the points to which the nut 43 may be adjusted to create a braking contact between the brake faces of the end-flanges lil and 2b and the brake faces of the plate 9 and the disk 3'! respectively, of such intensity at which the reel i7 with one of its strands 27 or 23 loaded with a person or object of the specific weight indicated at that particular point, will give way to unreeling itself.

A sleeve link 40 is rotatably mounted upon the hub 39a and has a pair of eye anchor means 4i diametrically opposite each other.

A compression coil spring 42 is mounted upon the end-portion I5 of the stub-shaft i3 crowdingly bearing against the disk 37a effecting braking between the end-flange iii and base-plate ff. and between the flange 2E) and brake-disk S7. it will be noted that since the coil spring 42 can be compressed to about one-half its normal spread, the stub shaft portion i5 is screw threaded on its opposite arcs I6 to the middle of the coil spring 42.

A nut 43 screw threadedly cooperates with the screw threaded portion of the stub-shaft portion l5 and bears against the coil spring 42 to regulate .the compression upon the brake-dist; 3?.

A pair of combination governor-brake levers 4i and 45, is rockably mounted upon the inner portion of the pivots 24 in a manner so that one endportion of each lever, is approximately seven times as long as the other, and so that each short end-portion 46 of each lever 44 and @5 is adjacent to the long end-portion 4l of each lever. These levers are preferably semi-circularly arcuate and structurally identical, each in the form of a semi-ring having a width preferably eX- ceeding the thickness thereof.

Each of the long end-portions 41 of the levers 44 and 45 is shaped to acquire weight toward the end thereof such weight serving as a centrifugal governor actuating the other end-portion which serves as a brake end-portion. Each long end-portion has a laterally projecting anchor means 49 provided with an eyelet and disposed adjacent each pivot 24 a distance therefrom substantially one-half the length of the short endportion 46.

Each of the short end-portions 48 is shaped generally to reduce weight toward the end thereof which is provided with a brake-shoe 5i, said brake-shoe, as illustrated, has a bearing box 53 centrally on the back thereof adapted to be preferably bifurcatedly and rockably connected by each pivot 48 to the end of each end portion 4S, and is adapted frictionally to engage the brakedrum 38. These brake-shoes El are not full semicircles so that the ends of the shoes may not abut when braking.

A pair of spacing washers 54 to olf-set the levers 44 and 45 from the end-flange 2G, is mounted upon the pivots 24. These washers 54 may be in the form of bosses extended from the pivotal bearing box of each lever.

A pair of coil springs 56 for retracting the governor end-portions 41, is connected to the anchor means 49 thereof and to the eye anchor means of the sleeve-link 49. These springs are provided with screw-threaded means which extend through the eyelets in the anchor means 4t and which are provided with nuts T for adjusting the retraction tension of the springs 5G.

A p-air of spacing sleeve washers e?. is mounted upon the pivots 24 adjoining the outer sides of the levers 44 and 45 to afford spaces for the springs 50.

Another pair of governor-brak@ levers 44a and 45a identical to the levers 44 and 45 and provided with another pair of brake-shoes 51a identical to brake-shoes 5I is mounted upon the pivots 24 adjoining the sleeve washers 52. The only difference between these two pairs of governor-brake levers is that the pair 44a and 450, is mounted functionally to oppose the other pair; thus the long governor end-portions 41 of the pair ci? 1revers 44 and 45 are disposed opposite and opposed to the long end-portions of the other pair of governor-brake levers Ma land ria, consequently while the anchor means 19a are also on the outer side of the levers lll-ia and 65a, they are, however, on the other side thereof. One pair of governorbrake levers functions when the duplex-reel il reels clockwise, and the other pair is idling and vice versa when the duplex-reel reels counterclockwise. When the governor end-portions of one pair governor-brake levers are trailed behind the pivots 2t, they function centrifugally actuating the brake end-portions centripetally causing the brake-shoes to brake. The governor end-portions of the other pair of governor-brake levers at the same time are shoved ahead of the pivots iii retracted by the retraction coil springs and idling together with its corresponding strand.

Another sleeve link 43a with anchor means Ylla is rotatably mounted upon the extreme end-portion of the screw threaded portion l -of the stub shaft i3.

Another pair ci coil springs 55a identical to coil springs 5t for retracting the governor endportions lla is similarly connected to the anchor means im and lic of the sleeve-link Alia.

The structure of the governor-brake assemblies is the same for all altitudes, but the radial dimension or" the ree] il increases for every story of building altitude.

For lowering nre escapees, a body carrying device (not shown) is attached to the eye-terminal 2G or Se of the strand 2l' or 28 and the escapee gets into the device and slips therewith out the window.

Operatively it will be noted that the apparatus has three cooperative brake systems for controlling the rate of descent of the descending person or obj ect.

First, a pair of radial disk brakes which, as described, hold the reel il clutched to prevent unreeling thereof under a .specific minimum load or weight, but when the specific load is exceeded the hold of the clutch gives way. Disposed in the brake-drum 36a, is a numerical scale to designate the points to which the nut t3 may be screwably adjusted upon the stub-shaft support i3 to create a braking contact between the endflange i9 and the plate 9, and between the endflange 2t and the disk 3l. The nut 43 bearing against the coil spring 42 forces the brake disk 3l against the brake end-flange 26 and it also forces the brake end-flange I9 against the brake plate il.

Second, a narrow duplex-reel il which, as described, contributes to the deceleration of the acceleration of the descending person or object because as the strand 2l or 28 is unwound the resistance to unwinding increases under a constant load, thereby nullifying the acceleration.

Third, two pairs of governor-brake assemblages which as already partially described, alternate in braking or governing as the reel l'l alternates in rotating clockwise or counterclockwise. Each assemblage includes a pair of governor-brake levers as liti and .15 cooperating with a brake-drum as 36 whereby the rate or" descent of the descending person or object is governed. The governorbrake levers thereof are intermediately pivoted to the reel il in tandem arrangement, two corresponding end-portions serving as centrifugal governor actuated by the rotation of the reel il centripetally levering the other or brake endportions thereof which are provided with brakeshoes adapted to engage frictionally the brakedrum Et.

t is to be understood that the form or my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts and the details thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

As my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a bracket frame including a vertical wall base-plate, which has a radial brake-face, and a stub-shaft support perpendicularly connected to the radial brake-face of said wall base-plate, said stubshaft support including a journal-portion and a free end-portion extended from said journal-portion, said free end-portion being of a shape adapted to cooperate slidably, but not rotatably, with the hub of an element and having an endportion thereof also screw-threaded and provided with a nut, which is adjustable on Asaid screw-threaded end-portion; a relatively narrow radially coextensive duplex-reel rotatably mounted upon the journal-portion of the stub-shaft support, said duplex-reel including a duplex drum-hub having an inner end-iiange, which has a radial brake-face, cooperating with the radial brake-face of the wall base-plate; an outer end-flange, which has a radial brake-face and is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite pivots secured to the outer end-flange externally of the radius of the brake-face of said outer endflange; and means allording a radial partition between the end-ilanges; a pair of strand elements, each connected to each drum-hub and wound in opposite direction principally upon itself to cumulate radially, thereby effecting an inherent deceleration or the acceleration of bodies being alternately descended by the respective strand elements which have the free ends thereof provided with anchor means; a radial brake means and brake-drum means slidably, but not rotatably, mounted upon the free end-portion of the stub-shaft support, said radial brake means having a radial brake-face cooperatingv with the radial brake-face of the outer end-flange;V a ccmpression means crowdingly communicating with the radial brake means and the adjustable nut; an opposed pair of operatively alternating governor-brake lever assemblies mounted upon the pivots and adapted to cooperate with the respective brake-drum means; and tensionally adjustable separate spring means for retracting the governor-end-portions of the lever assemblies toward the `brake-drum means.

2. The device as defined in claim l, in which the duplex reel is provided with a hood extending midway down along the periphery of said dupleX-reel and having the free ends thereof flaring from the reel to facilitate the reeling thereunder of the anchor means of the strand element that dles during the lowering by the other strand element, of the first re escapee, said anchor means striking the iiared end of the hood, thereby alarming occupants in adjacent rooms.

3. In a device of the character described, a bracket-frame including a vertical wall baseplate, which has a radial brake-face, and a stubshaft support perpendicularly connected to the radial brake-face of said wall base-plate, said stub-shaft support including a journal-portion and a free end-portion extended from said journal-portion, said free end-portion being of a shape adapted to cooperate slidably, but not rotatably, with the hub of an element and having an end-portion thereof also screw-threaded and provided with a nut, which is adjustable on said screw-threaded end-portion; a duplex-reel rotatably mounted upon the journal-portion of the stub-shaft support, said duplex-reel including a duplex drum-hub having an inner end-flange, which has a radial brake-face cooperating with the radial brake-face of the vertical base-plate; an outer end-flange, which has a radial brakeface and a pair of diametrically opposite pivots secured to the outer end-flange externally of the brake-face of said outer end-ange; and means aording a radial partition between said endanges; a pair of strand elements, each connected to each drum-hub and Wound in opposite direction and provided with anchor means on the free end thereof; a combined radial brake disk and a brake-drum member slidably, but not rotatably, mounted upon the free end-portion of the stub-shaft support, said radial brake disk having a radial brake-face cooperating with the radial brake-face of the outer end-flange; a brake-drum slidably, but not rotatably, mounted upon said free end-portion of the stub-shaft support, adjacent the combined radial brake disk and brake-drum member; a compression means crowdingly communicating with the radial brake disk and the adjustable nut; an opposed pair of operatively alternating governor-brake assemblies, each said assembly including a governorbrake-lever rockably fulcrumed on each of the pivots on the outer end-flange, one end-portion of each of said levers being on one side of each pivot, serving as centrifugal governor leverablf,7 actuating the short end-portion on the other side of the pivot, each shorter end-portion being provided with a brake-shoe adapted to cooperate with its respective brake-drum; and tensionally adjustable spring means for retracting each said governor end-portion of each lever toward its respective brake-drum.

4. An apparatus of the character described for lowering bodies, comprising a bracket frame and mechanism carried by said frame, said frame including a vertically disposed radial brake-plate and a stub-shaft support perpendicularly connected to the radial brake-plate, said stub-shaft support including a journal-portion and a free end-portion extended from said journal-portion, said free end-portion being of a shape adapted to cooperate slidably, but not rotatably, with the hub of an element and having an end-portion thereof also screw-threaded and provided with a nut, which is adjustable on said screw-threaded end-portion; said mechanism comprising a duplex-reel rotatably mounted upon the journalporti-on of the stub-shaft support, said duplexreel including a duplex drum-hub having an inner radial brake end-flange cooperating with the radial brake-plate, an outer radial brake endange provided with a pair of diametrically opposite pivots secured to the annular edge of said outer radial brake end-flange, a radial flange means affording a partition between said endflanges, and a pair of strand elements, each connected to each drum-hub and wound in opposite direction and provided with anchor means on the free end thereof; a combined radial brake disk and brake-drum, and a combined radial disk and brake-drum spaced apart from each other, said radial brake-disk and said radial disk being combined with their respective brake-drums on corresponding edges of said brake-drums and provided with slidable, but not rotatable hubs, mounted upon the free end-portion of the stubshaft support, said hubs extending in opposite directions and aiording abutting spacers for the brake-drums and their respective disks, said radial brake-disk cooperating with the outer radial brake end-flange; a compression coil spring encircling the free end-portion of the stub-shaft support between the combined radial disk and brake-drum and the adjustable nut, and exerting therebetween a force against said radial disk and said adjustable nut, thereby effecting braking between the brake-plate and the inner radial brake end-flange and between the combined radial brake-disk and brake-drum and the outer radial brake end-ilange, the intensity of said braking being regulated by pre-adjustment of the adjustable nut to release the unreeling of the duplexreel with one of the strand elements loaded to a predetermined specic Weight; an opposed pair of operatively alternating governor-brake assemblies mounted upon the pivots and adapted to cooperate with their respective brake-drums; and tensionally adjustable separate coil springs for retracting each governor-brake lever assembly toward its respective brake drum and for regulating the braking intensity between said brakedrum and the governor-brake assembly to control the rate of descent of the body.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising in combination a bracket frame including a vertically disposed radial brake-plate and a stub-shaft support perpendicularly ccnnected to said radial brake-plate, said stub-shaft support including a journal-portion and a free end-portion, said free end-portion being of a shape adapted to cooperate slidably, but not rotatably, with the hub of an element and having an end-portion thereof also screw-threaded and provided with a nut, which is adjustable on said screw-threaded end-portion; a mechanism carried by said braket frame and comprising a duplex-reel rotatably mounted upon the journalportion of the stub-shaft support, said duplexreel including a duplex-drum-hub having an inner radial brake end-nange cooperating with the radial brake-plate; an outer radial brake endflange provided with a pair of diametrically opposite pivots; and means aording a radial partition substantially medially between the end-anges; a pair of strand elements connected to the drumhubs, one wound clockwise and the other counterclockwise and each provided with eye-anchor means on the free end thereof; a combined radial brake-disk and brake-drum, and a combined radial disk and brake-drum, each having a hub slidably, but not rotatably, mounted upon the free end-portion of the stub shaft support, said radial brake-disk cooperating with the outer radial brake end-flange; compression means associated with the free end-portion and operative upon the radial brakes, the compression being regulated by preadjustment of the adjustable nut; two opposed governor-brake lever assemblies mounted upon the pivots and adapted to cooperate alternately with their respective brake-drums to govern the speed of unreeling of the reel, when descending a body, each governor brake-lever assembly including two tandem arranged substantially semi-circularly arcuate governor-brake levers, each governor-brake lever rockably fulcrumed upon each of the pivots so that one end-portion of each lever, is nominally seven times as long as the short end-portion of each lever, and said governor-brake levers being arrangd so that the short end-portion of each lever is adjacent to the long end-portion of the other lever and so that the long end-portions and short end-portions of one governor-brake lever assembly are disposed to oppose those of the other governor-brake lever assembly, thereby effecting a braking function of one of the governor-brake lever assemblies irrespective of in which direction the duplexereel is reeled, each long end-portion having anchor means adjacent the fulcrum thereof and being arcuately and weightily adapted to serve as oentriiugal governor leverably actuating the short brake end-portion thereof, each of which is articulately provided with substantially seniicircularly arcuate brake-shoe adapted to cooperate with its respective brake-drum; pair of connecting sleeve-links, each having a pair of diametrically opposite anchor means, one sleeve link rotatably encircling the hub of the outer brake-drum between the brake-drums, and the other sleeve-link rotatably encircling the screwthreaded end-portion of the free end-portion of the stub-shaft support; and two pairs of adjustable retraction coil springs each pair connected to the anchor means oi each connecting sleevelink and to the anchor means of the long endportions of its respective pair of governor-brake levers.

6. rThe device defined in claim in which, the governor-brake levers have the short end-portions provided with braise-shoes inarticulately connected thereto.

7. A device of the character described comprising a frame; a shaft-support horizontally carried by said frame; a duplex-reel mounted upon the shaft-support, said duplex-reel rotating alternately upon said shaft-support and including a duplex drum-hub provided with a partition means and end-ilanges, one of which has a radial brake-face, and a pair of strands opposedly wound upon said duplex drum-hub; a member having a radial brake-face, slidably, but not rotatably associated with the shaft-support, the radial brake-face of said member brakingly cooperating with the radial brake-face of said one end-flange and thereby affording a radial brake; a pair of pivots affixed to 'the periphery of one of the end-anges, said pivots being horizontally disposed diametrically opposite each other; twin brake-drums slidably, but not rotatably, mounted upon the shaft-support, one of said twin brake-drums having a radial brake disk cooperating with the brake face of one of the end-flanges; tensionally adjustable compression means associated with the shaft-support and operative upon said radial brake; two opposed pairs of governor-brake levers, each pair of said governor-brake levers being rockably fulcruined adjacent each other upon. said pivots in a manner so that one end-portion of each lever is longer than the other end-portion thereof, said longer end-portions serving as centrifugal governors, and said shorter end-portions, each provided with a brake-shoe, being adapted brakingly to cooperate with its respective brake-drum, serving brake end-portions; and two sets of tensionally adjustable spring means, each set operative upon the governor end-portions of each pair of governor-brake levers for retracting said governor endportions of each pair of governor-brake levers toward the brake-drum when idling, and for regulating, by tensicnal preadjustment of said spring means, the braking intensity of the brake endportions of each pair of governor-brake levers, when braking.

8. An apparatus for lowering bodies from elevated positions comp-rising a vertically disposed base-plate having a radial brake-face provided with a stub-shaft support extending perpendicularly to the plane of said radial brake-face; a

CTI

duplex-reel rotatably mounted upon said stubshaft support, and including a duplex drum-hub, inner and outer end-flanges and a flange-like partition between said end-flanges all connected to the drum-hub, the outer sides of said endflanges having radial brake-faces, the brake-face of the inner end-flange being in braking engagement with the radial brake-face of said baseplate, constituting a radial brake and clutch; a strand connected to and wound upon one of said drum-hubs in a clockwise direction, and another strand connected to and wound upon the other drum-hub in counter-clockwise direction, said strands having eye terminal anchor means; a pair of adjacent brake-drums slidably, but not rotatably, mounted upon the stub-shaft support for governing the rate ci unreeling of the duplexreel, one of said drums having a radial brakeface in braking engagement with the radial brakeface of the outer end-flange and constituting another radial brake and clutch coactively cooperating with the Companion radial brake and clutch; tensionally adjustable spring means simultaneously operative upon said pair of radial brakes and clutches, said spring means being pre-adjusted to such a degree of tension so as to cause each radial brake and clutch to prevent the duplex-reel from unreeling with any weight under a predetermined specific weight loaded onto one of the strands and to serve as a brake when the duplex-reel is unreeling with one of the strands loaded with a weight exceeding the snecific weight; a pair of pivots ailixed, diametrically opposite each other, to the periphery of the outer end-flange, outside the radial brake-face, and extending out horizontally and parallelly over the brake peripheries of the brake-drums; two opposed pairs of governor-brake levers rockably and adiacently fulcrurned upon said pivots in a manner so that one pair of governor-brake levers idles with its respective idling strand, and the other pair of governor-brake levers governs and brakes while its respective strand, loaded with a weighted object, unreels; each governor-brake lever including a centrifugal governor end-portion on one side of the pivot, and a brake end-portion on the other side of the pivot, said brake endportion being provided with a brake-shoe having an arced brake-face adapted brakingly to cooperate with the brake periphery of its respective brake-drum, and said centrifugal governor endportion being provided with tensionally adjustable spring ymeans for retracting said governor end-portion toward its respective brake-drum when idling, and for governing and braking when in operation during the descent oi a body.

9. An apparatus for lowering bodies from elevated positions comprising: support means secured adjacent the position from which the weighted objects are to be lowered; a horizontally disposed shaft support carried by said support means; a duplex-reel rotatably 'mounted upon said shaft support, the outer sides or" the ends of said duplex-reel having radial brake-faces; a strand connected tc and wound upon one section oi said duplex-reel in a clockwise direct on, and another strand connected to the other section of said duplex-reel and wound in a countercloclnvise direction; separate radial brake means, each having a radial brake-face, slidably but not rotatably, associated with the shaft support, each of said brake means brakingly cooperating with the brake faces of the ends of the duplex-reel and constituting radial brakes; tensionally adjustable spring means crowdingly operative upon the radial brakes, said spring means being adjustable to such a degree of tension so as to cause the radial brakes to hold clutched, up to a predetermined specific Weight loaded on one of the strands; a pair of brake-drums slidably, but not rotatably, mounted upon the shaft support; a plurality of pivots affixed to the periphery of the duplex-reel and extending out horizontally and parallelly over the peripheries of the brake drums; two opposed pairs of governor-brake levers leverably mounted upon said pivots in a manner so that one pair idles With its respective idling strand and the other pair governs and brakes While its respective strand, loaded With a body, unreels; each governor brake lever of each pair of governor-brake levers including a centrifugal governor end-portion on one side of the pivot and a brake end-portion on the other side of said pivot, said brake end- 12 portion including a brake-shoe having an arced brake-face adapted brakingly to cooperate with the brake periphery of its respective brake-drum, and said each centrifugal governor end-portion being provided with tensionally adjustable springr means for retracting each centrifugal governor end-portion toward its respective brake-drum when said governor end-portion is idling and for controlling the braking intensity of the brake end-portion, when said brake end-portion is braking.

EDWARD SOKOLIK.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 425,554 Stiver et al Apr. 15, 1890 772,056 Ragsdale Oct. 11, 1904 

